


Neutral Path

by Little_Box_of_Fun



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Flowey is a flower, Frisk will remain Gender neutral, Gen, M/M, Multi, Other, Reader will remain gender neutral, Underfell, Undertale AU, undertale - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-29
Updated: 2015-12-02
Packaged: 2018-04-28 17:13:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5098739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Box_of_Fun/pseuds/Little_Box_of_Fun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a self-insert of the Undertale AU. Due to creator's wishes, no nsfw will be written but future fluff will emerge. </p><p>All ships are written as 18+</p><p>The reader is a companion to Frisk, protecting them throughout the journey that is Undertale. The story follows their quest as they try not to kill or be killed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hiking Stick of Doom

**Author's Note:**

> Reader is seen as an older friend of Frisk's. Frisk is also written as a deaf child with hearing aids, so there will be times where their deaf characteristics will stand out in the future. (such as making unnecessary noise even when their hearing aid is on, trying to get over the habit of crying when they don't receive what they need, occasionally looking away from other people signing by looking away and covering their eyes with their hands playfully.)
> 
> (If there are any concerns in how I'm writing Frisk, please do inform me so I may change/edit my work.)

It was the second day of your camping trip and already you were going to miss this place. You had promised them a fun time, a moment away from the city and family with an adventurous camping trip. You remembered them smiling at you, beaming with excitement. Frisk was filled with joy as they packed, wanting to bring everything they could possibly fit into their backpack.

Yesterday, Frisk was allowed to choose whatever they wanted to do for the first day of camping. That involved a lot of running around everywhere, trying to do swimming, fishing, making an infuriating campfire from scratch, and few other stereotypical camping things. They showed a general distaste and boredom from the tedious tasks as time went on but they expressed frequently how happy they were just to be away.

Today, you were going to spend the day cataloging, hiking, and then stargazing before the day ends so there’d still be time to pack. On the trip back, the two of you burned through a whole packet of bandaids and a can of bug spray, immensely regretting your decision to do homework out on vacation. But now you were able to take the time to enjoy the scenery with them, with no other distractions.

Before starting your hiking trip, you were equipped with a small backpack of essentials, but you exclaimed, “Oh! Hold up, bud. There’s just one more thing I’m forgetting.” Frisk looked at you, confused, before gesturing with their hands back to the campsite. Shaking your head, you replied, “No, it’s not from camp, hon. I just need to find a hiking stick.”

They let out a small exaggerated groan, before looking back and forth at you and the abandoned hike trail. “We’re right here,” they whined.

Giving a small chuckle and smile, you assured them, “Just a sec, hon.” You did a bit of running around, going over ginormous tree roots before raising a stick over your head, triumphantly as if it were your biggest life accomplishment. “AHA,” you yelled out, scaring Frisk who immediately screeched in response.”Oh, oh no, sweetie I’m sorry!” you said in between giggles.

They raised their fists, enraged of how you betrayed them. Playfully, with your stick you yelled, “Raise your weapon!” in a fake fighting stance. Their excitement was immediate and they ran screaming a battle cry. “Oh no,” you said with a grin. “You need a sword to fight me!” you said raising your mighty hiking stick again. With a laugh, Frisk rushed off to find their new “weapon.”

You felt your heart drop when you heard them scream. Just now, Frisk was running until they vanished from your sights, screaming your name.

You lept into action; diving to protect them. Immediately, you realize your mistake. The two of you fell down in a sort of deep fissure and there was no telling how far down it went. Your determination wavered and was replaced with dread. Surrounded with nothing but darkness, Frisk was disappearing from your sights. They glanced at you for a moment, before you felt the droplets of their tears hit your face as they descended further down below you. The light was drained and the sound of howling wind took place. As Frisk screamed endlessly, your breath was taken away and silence reigned. You wanted to tell them to close their eyes, but not even words could escape the clench of your teeth.

\---

You woke up in a bed of flowers and a headache. Your head ached heavily, but besides from that you seemed to miraculously survive the fall. Your body was tense as you had a heavy weight on your chest, you sat up frantically to find that Frisk was clinging onto you for dear life, crying in their sleep. You took in a deep breath of relief and cradled them in your arms. Your arms trembled and you fought the urge to cry. After rocking them in your arms, your hands quickly examined their hands, arms, face; looking for any injury that might have happened. They didn’t seem hurt but with your fears ending it became replaced by curiosity. What was this place?

 

Taking a quick inspection of the room, you seem to be at the bottom of the cavern you two fell in. A small speck of light was splashed upon your face, but it was as if it took place of the stars. Only one shimmering light in the endless darkness and rough edges of the rocky environment around it. The flowers you woke up in were golden, had big petals, and were bright, as if they were beautiful and mysterious lamps. They showered you in a bed of comfort and light. A small pang of guilt surged in you for destroying said flowers, but it was no worse than the headache you had.

Gently waking Frisk from their sleep, they stared with empty eyes, slowly grasping the situation. You thought at first their hearing aid went out but as you tried to fingerspell to them, “Are you alright? Can you hear? Did your hearing aid break?” they shook their head. They looked up at the ceiling, their eyes squinting from the light’s glare before turning to look at you again. It took them a moment, they mustered out the words, “..Fell.”

You nodded, trying to be strong. “Yeah, sweetie. We fell down pretty far.” Mimicking their actions, from their eyes to the light and back to them, you replied, “...I don’t think we can climb our way out of this. I don’t have my phone with me either…" You drowned your phone by accident yesterday when Frisk pushed you into the lake. They've already expressed their regret in their actions and you weren't going to lecture them any further about it, but they did wince at the mention of the phone. "Are you hurt?” They shook their head slowly. “Ok, that’s good. Let’s find our way out of this mess, yeah?”

You stood up and Frisk soon followed after, still concerned you asked them, “Do you want to hold hands?” They didn’t respond, but they softly gripped your hand. In their other hand, they wielded a small stick.

Heading forward, you find a path leading the way out of the cavern you two fell in. A small strange plot of dead grass was in the next room and like magic, a flower with a sad smile appeared. “Howdy! I’m Flowey, Flowey the flower!” it said. It’s voice was of that of a child, one similar to Frisk’s age. Taking a step back, you let go of Frisk’s hand to shield them with your arm instead. “I-I know that I must look a little scary!” it said apologetically. “But I won’t hurt you guys, I promise. I actually made those flowers appear so you guys wouldn’t get hurt…” The flower had a strange face and it seemed to not only manipulate expressions but completely change the face as well. It alternated from a simple smile to what appeared to be a monster child. It did its best to smile, but it went away quickly. “Golly, you guys must be so confused. Listen, um; you guys really are not safe down here,” it solemnly sighed. “You guys are in the Underground, home of the monsters.”

You gasped, “Monsters?” You recall telling stories of the war to Frisk when they were curious. You portrayed the good and bad of both sides, humans with their pride but with their technological advancement and monsters that were wronged because of their appearance and brutal magic. How 7 powerful magicians sealed all the monsters away deep into the earth and were never to be seen again. It was an event many humans in history spoke of with pride and narcissism, recalling tales of how they turned dozens of monsters into dust.

The flower spoke again with the face of a small child, nodding they said, “You two fell through the barrier, I’m guessing...I’m letting you know this now, before you go out there,” they turned their head to an exit behind them. “Everyone pretty much resents humans down here...”

Frisk spoke out softly, “...Do they want to kill us?”

“Man, there’s a lot to more to explain,” Flowey said sadly. “but I have to get to the most important aspect first. You both need to know this.”

Before you could respond, your body felt strange and empty, as it had been hollowed out just in mere seconds. It took a moment, but a small heart shaped glowing object appeared in front of you in a pale pink. It’s presence was warm and calming; filling you with comfort. Looking at your smaller companion, Frisk was going through the same experience but had a much calmer attitude. Their heart like object illuminated boldly in comparison to yours, in a bright crimson red.

“See that heart?” Flowey asked, happily to see your reactions. “That is your SOUL. The very culmination of your being!” It’s smile faltered for a moment, but it might have been a trick of the eyes. “Your SOUL starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV.”

As much as you wanted to question things, it was indescribably hard to even find the words. It was worse from when you fell. You were literally looking at your own SOUL, that alone could spook someone. Flowey was continuing his explanation, explaining what LV stands for before, how to get more, and explaining how to fight. “Monsters attack using magic, they won’t aim for your body directly, but for your SOUL. See the petal bullet?” A small gentle petal was plucked from Flowey’s stem. “It’s how I can attack, but others will be a lot stronger and have more creative methods. You need to be able to dodge all of the attacks, you can’t get hurt or else your SOUL might…”

“Y-yeah,” you said quickly. “I get it. Do you understand Frisk?” They nodded in reassurance.

 

Frisk’s quiet demeanor was normal, but since the fall they were acting very eerily. They might still have been in shock and you couldn’t help but to blame yourself. It was as if Frisk was speaking for you when you couldn’t find the words for yourself. Frisk questioned again, “Why are you helping us?”

Flowey’s face changed into a simple smile, ready to speak until he frowned. “I hear footsteps,” he whispered. Everyone quickly became quiet and Flowey’s suspicions were correct. Footsteps were approaching. “I’ll catch up with you guys later!” Flowey quickly said before disappearing into the ground. Your SOULS disappeared from sight, but it left a small pink heart imprint on your outfit. The same for Frisk’s striped sweater, but with a contrasting red.

You took a hold of Frisk’s hand, and waited for whoever was coming to appear. There was nowhere you could hide anyway and before you could think about it any further, a strange monster garbed in a black dress appeared. She had white fur, small horns, and big yellow eyes, with small beady black irises that watched your movement. She frowned upon seeing you, but her lips curled into a smile at the sight of Frisk. “What a terrible creature, terrorizing such an innocent youth.” You glanced quickly at Frisk just to make sure that they were there before returning your uneasy gaze upon the monster before you. Was she referring to Flowey that had disappeared just now? But what there was no terrible creature to speak of other than herself, as far as you knew. “Ah, do not be afraid, my child,” The monster said, as if she were Frisk’s mother. “I am Toriel, caretaker of the RUINS. I pass through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down. You are the first human to come here in a long time.”

She took several steps forward, offering her giant paw to Frisk. “Come!” she said with resolve. “I will guide you through the catacombs.” Frisk took clung to the fabric of your pants tightly, unwilling to let go. And as if you were going to let Frisk be taken away by this…suspicious monster.

You slapped her hand as if it were a disgusting bug. “ **Frisk isn’t going to go anywhere with you** ,” you said with absolute determination.

“Frisk is their name? Oh, how lovely!” they said, ignoring your threat. “Come on, now Frisk. It’s time to get moving!” They became much more irritated, their eyes squinting.

Carefully not to step on their feet, you and Frisk take several steps back. “Frisk,” you said with a gray voice. They turned to look at you with curious and scared eyes. Making eye contact, you told them, “Don’t trust her, ok?” They nodded with trembling fingers. Returning your gaze to Toriel, a fireball came to life before your very eyes. It was then your SOUL appeared, but before you had time to react, you were struck. You staggered backwards, in pain of the sudden magic. It rang all throughout your body and your heart felt heavy. Before you knew it, Frisk’s tiny hands were ripped away from your pants and you saw them being carried away by Toriel.

“Frisk!” You yelled out. You repositioned yourself at a running start, pursuing them. In the next room was an entrance to the rest of the RUINS. Dashing through the corridor and onto the next, a door slammed shut behind Toriel. As you finally caught up, there was a puzzle to solve. Confused by the sudden change of pace; you solved the puzzle swiftly before moving on to the next room. With your hands gripped onto your backpack straps, you bolted. As you entered the next room, you heard Frisk shriek. “Sweetie!” Your lungs rang out. There was another easy puzzle to solve, after pulling a few switches, you made it through. You then realized that these puzzles were designed for children and it may be why Toriel targeted Frisk. Grown humans could give a harder, more physical fight whereas monsters were much more skilled in magic combat. It only filled you with more determination as you ran for dear life across a long hallway; you could barely see Frisk’s tiny hands reaching out to you before they continued to try and destroy Toriel’s back.

At the end of the corridor, Flowey sprouted before you. “Howd-” the poor guy’s words were interrupted as you tripped over him, tumbling on the pavement. You were wracked in pain now. First from Toriel’s attack, the intense running, the weight of your backpack, and now your knees were very hurt. You winced in pain and crawled up a wall for support. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Flowey apologized frantically. “Are you ok?”

You wheezed, “Y-yeah, I’m alright. You?”

Flowey smiled quickly, “I’m alright, compared to you I guess.” It let out a meek chuckle, trying to lift the atmosphere before saying, “I saw what happened, I want to help.”

“How?” you manage to say through croaked words.

“I know the way to Toriel’s house,” Flowey explained. “she’s going to try and kill Frisk if we don’t get there fast enough. That or she’ll throw her out into the rest of the Underground and let someone else do the job.” You glanced at Flowey as if they were to blame; but it was only because you were irritated and in pain. “I can help though! But you have to promise me something!” Flowey took a deep breath before shouting, “Please let me come with you!! Please! I can help you fight! I’ll do anything!”

Your eyebrows furrowed. “I..I…” Flowey’s words were shaky and miserable. “I want to leave,” they said with their face directed on the ground. “This place is dangerous, and the stronger monsters are all bullies. I can’t leave on my own! Please, if you help me get out, I’ll help you and Frisk get out as well ok?”

You looked at the consequences of your actions here. You didn’t know Flowey well enough to trust him, but they did have some magical fighting capability. And they were generous to teach you about SOULS and small general information. And how far did Flowey want to go with you? Did they want to exit the Underground as well? With Frisk at risk, there wasn’t much time to make decisions however. You knelt down to Flowey’s level, “I’m trusting you ok? You can come along. **BUT** ,” you said in a very harsh tone. “We need to protect Frisk. And you need to tell me more about this world.”

It looked at you as if you gave it the world. Tears swelled up in its eyes and it gave a very genuine and kind smile. “I promise!” It declared. “If you give me your hand, I can act as a, um, I’m not sure, but um, you can help direct my magic!”

“Like a gun?” you asked.

“I’m not sure what that is. But if it can shoot, then, yeah!” You wondered how long the monsters were down here before offering your hand to Flowey. Small vines securely wrapped themselves up to your shoulders and Flowey was now resting on your arm. It was slightly heavy, but you felt Flowey giving you a feeling of strength and determination. You felt stronger.

“Are you ready? Flowey?”

“Yeah! Let’s go!” You took off in another mad dash, filled with exuberating energy; only to have Flowey scream at you relentless as it clung on to you tightly. You slowly jogged to allow Flowey to adjust himself onto your shoulder instead. Vines dug into your skin, you’d rather have that happen than to let Frisk get hurt.

You began ask questions about why the monsters had such hatred towards the humans. Flowey’s expression changed to a small monster child before responding, “A really long time ago, a human child fell through the barrier. Their name was Chara. A lot of the monsters showed kindness, including the king and queen. They seemed...really nice.” It said with a sigh, “At least, at first anyway. Chara stayed here for about a month or two before they um, uh…I’d rather not talk about it anymore.” You respected Flowey’s wishes.

You came across a strange large frog. Without much warning, it began to attack you. Flowey was feeding you information, as it gave you its stats, an awkward description, and such. You aimed your new magical friend at the beast but Flowey cried out, “Wait!” causing you to miss your shot and get hit a few times by Froggit.

“What is it?” you hissed in pain.

Flowey winced, scared of your tone. You gave an apologetic look before he responded, “T-try complimenting them!” You stared at Flowey as if it were mad. “No seriously! Try it!”

You turned your head back to Froggit before saying, “Your skin tone is a bold and a lovely hue?” Froggit didn’t understand what you said, but was flattered anyway. After seeing the change in the monster, they stopped attacking you.

Flowey than cheered, “Good! Now you don’t have to fight them anymore! They’ll just leave, I swear. Just...put my...your...uh...our bullet hand down.” You followed their commands and Froggit did indeed leave to your surprise. They no longer wanted to fight.

You turned your head to Flowey for an explanation, “I know what I said earlier, about all monsters pretty much resenting humanity. That is true. But not all of them wants to fight, they just want out and the only way they know how is by…” his expression turned into a frown. “Frisk.” they looked at you with fixated eyes, “We have to go!” Nodding to his remark, you took off in another running sprint. It took you a while as you encountered more enemies; but with Flowey’s advice, you were able to spare them all from a fight. Flowey gave you endless encouragement and you in return gave praise for their knowledge. It was a good tradeoff.

You encountered a very nonchalant ghost who didn’t at all seem for fighting as they weren’t even in the mood for it at times; but later on disappeared apologizing for being in your path. You were horrified to receive food from spiders, as every part of you urged not to destroy them all; but they healed you in exchange for the money you received from enemies as a gift.

Together, you and Flowey stood in front of Toriel’s home. You found one of Frisk’s shoes on the way there and you held it tightly in your hands. “That’s theirs...right?” Flowey asked politely. You nodded. “Then they’re in there. Remember, we can try to stop the fight. But they are really, **really** strong. I’ll let you make the best decision here, but you can use me to attack if you need me ok?” You nodded. Putting Frisk’s shoe in your backpack, you opened the doors to Toriel’s’ house.


	2. Toriel Boss Fight!

You twist the doorknob and enter inside Toriel’s domain. It seems like a small, comforting cottage. It smelled of sweet baked goods and flowers. You wouldn’t have imagined having a lovely house such as this underneath the mountain, especially after the events that just took place. The entrance room had two hallways and a flight of stairs descending downwards.

  
You leaned towards the left hallway, but Flowey whispered to your ear, “Hey, this is just a guess, but I think you should check out the right hallway first.” Flowey’s intuition and information has been correct so far, as bizarre as it was. You had plans to ask them about their knowledge later after you found Frisk and were in a safer situation.

 

Quietly going to the right corridor, there were a total of 3 doors. You checked the first door, jiggling the doorknob. It was locked. Gently, you whispered, “Frisk? Sweetie are you in there?” You heard a gasp and the sound of small footsteps running quickly to the door frame. “It’s me,” you said with a smile they couldn’t see. God, you needed a hug from them right now. “Are you ok in there?” They twist and turned the doorknob madly, trying to reach you. They started to bang their firsts against the door; “Frisk!” you whispered. “you can’t do that!.” They stopped hitting the door but you heard them lay on the ground, crying bitter tears.   
  
Underneath the crack of the door, their fingertips were seen. Kneeling, you gently rubbed their tiny fingers. Small bruises were on the side of their hands and you assumed that they’ve been trying get out for a while. You were lost in how small their hands were when you heard Flowey whisper, “Hide!” Besides the doorframe was a large vase and a small cabinet. You did your best to hide yourself on the side of the wooden cabinet as Flowey whispered in your ear what was happening. “I see Toriel…” they said. “They’re going to Frisk.”  
  
Toriel stood outside of the door and mustered the best smile they could manage. “Frisk? I have brought you lunch.” In her hands was a massive slice of pie, you almost started drooling at the sight of it. They opened the door enough to slide the dessert in before locking it again. Quietly, she sighed, “At least they stopped the noise…” a meek smile appeared. “I wonder if they’re thirsty.” She walked away, out of sight.   
  
You stood up, glancing over at Flowey for answers. They looked at you with a nervous smile, “Hey pal, I don’t know everything. They’ve never acted that way before.” You raised your eyebrows. Flowey knew something, but you couldn’t exactly find the words for it.

  
Frisk’s fingertips were out again, waiting for you. In their hands, it held a small piece of the pie Toriel gave them. Nervous, you said, “Hey hon. About the pie, I think you should-”  
  
Cutting off your sentence, Frisk excitedly whispered to you, “It’s really **good**! It’s so yummy!”   
  
“...What did I say about not trusting Toriel, Frisk?” You groaned.  
  
“Sorry,” they said quickly. Welp, let’s hope that Frisk doesn’t get poisoned or sick later, you thought begrudgingly to yourself. It was really cute how quickly their happiness came back after such an intense morning. You hoped to eat something filling soon.  
  


Standing up, you asked Flowey, “You can go through floors right?”  
  
Staring back, they said, “Um, yeah. Why?”  
  
“Would it be possible for you to check on Frisk for me right now? I’d like to know if Toriel hurt them or if the room they’re staying in is dangerous.”   
  
“Um, ok!” Flowey said with a child-like determination. You made sure that Frisk knew what Flowey was doing before initiating the plan. You knelt down and Flowey’s vines released their grip on your arm, leaving behind their mark. They disappeared beneath the ground before they resurfaced next to you. Magicly, you assumed.  
  
“So...what was the room like?” you asked.  
  
Flowey had the face of a very solemn monster child and with a sad grin, they responded, “The room is safe.”  
  
“What was in the room?” you asked politely.  
  
“It’s a kid’s room. There’s toys and games, and a really nice and soft blanket…” They trailed off, their words were miserable and ended there. They sounded as if a child broke something on accident and wasn’t able to keep it secret. Whatever happened to Flowey you intended to find out, but for right now you knelt down to their level to do your best to comfort them. They were still **just a child** , you reminded yourself.  
  
“Hey,” you said gently. “You’ve been doing a really awesome job. Do you have any idea how smart you are?” Flowey started to smile bashfully. “You came up the idea to stop fighting by being clever and nice to everyone. Honestly, I wouldn’t have thought about that. I wouldn’t have known it would be an option. I would have been mean and very bad but I don’t have to be now. You stopped me from becoming a bad guy, little guy! Thank you!” you happily remarked. “Thank you! You’re a hero, Flowey. Because of you, we were able to make it this far. Thank you for doing your best, Flowey. After this, the three of us can all take a really nice nap. No fighting monsters, no worrying. Just a really good naptime session.”  
  
Flowey immediately pouted, “I don’t need a nap!” it declared. Sometimes you forgot how young your new friend was.   
  
“Well,” you said with a smug smile. “I do.” You lowered your hand for Flowey to attach.  
  
“Adults need naps?” it asked as small vines grew from the ground. Flowey bunched as many vines as they could before you gently lifted them from the ground, allowing them to attach to your arm. Securely wrapping its leafy vines; Flowey took it’s resting position on your shoulder.

  
“Yup.”  
  
“Huh,” it said. As quickly as they came upon their new revelation, they questioned, “How are we going to get Frisk out?”  
  
You looked further down the hallway and saw the two other doors. “Let’s see if we can find a key in there,” you told Flowey. They nodded in response before you let Frisk know where you’d be going before you left. The first door was unlocked and showed what appeared to be a very large bedroom. It looked strangely cozy and like a secret haven after what you have seen so far. You desperately wanted to lay down and nap. You saw what appeared to be a journal opened on a desk and there was some text circled boldly in red. You read aloud, “Why did the... **oh**.” You groaned. The journal was filled with nothing but, puns. Puns about skeletons and other monsters. Puns were so deliciously evil.  
  
After further investigating the room, you moved on. As you ventured down the hallway, you came across a mirror and with it; your reflection. You looked like utter hell. There were bags underneath your eyes, you had bruises and cuts from the fights, and your hair was singed. Your jacket had seen better days for the heart imprint where your soul would appear from was tattered as if that single spot was being ruined. You felt so tired and finally confronting your appearance made you feel worse about your situation. You let out a soft sigh before rummaging through your backpack, pulling out a very small first aid kit. You quickly dabbed the cuts with alcohol dabbed rags before applying medicine. The cuts were small enough for you not to consider putting bandages on them. You winced every time you slowly burned yourself, causing Flowey to ask politely, “Are...Are you ok?”  
  
“I’m...not really ok right now, Flowey,” you admitted. “But that’s alright, because **I will be. I will be ok** ,” you said very bravely. You saw little stars in his eyes and a smile. You took a look at your watch to see that it’s been a full day already. You were in the Ruins for much longer than you had originally thought, but you needed to hurry. You didn’t have all the time in the world to get Frisk out right now.  
  
The next door for you to discover however, was locked. There seemed to be nothing left, but to confront Toriel. Your eyebrows furrowed at the thought, “I’m not going to do so well if I choose not to fight her. I’d like not to but...I don’t see any other choice.”

 

You knew deep down, you’d do anything to protect Frisk. But the idea about killing others seemed like a distant reality, as if it’d be a decision you’d make in a choose-your-own-adventure book. You wouldn’t be able to talk through to her, she would just send a fireball in response. There was no certain action you could do to get your way around this either. Fighting seemed like the only option.You sighed before glancing over at Flowey, “Think I can do this peacefully?” They gave nothing but a meek smile. “I’ll just...flip a coin I guess.”  
  
You took out a gold coin that was given to you from an earlier monster as a present. Further observing it, one side had a monster eye and the other a flame. “If it lands on the fire, I’ll fight her. If it lands on the eye, I’ll do my best to do this without fighting…” you said glumly.   
  
You tossed the coin in the air and catch it with your dominant hand. You flip the coin on the backside of your other hand, covering it with your fingertips when you hear Toriel ask, “So which end did it land on?” You turn around to see her with a glass of milk in her hand. “Go on,” she said as if she was hearing a story. **“Tell me.”** She set down the glass of milk on the cabinet besides you, getting uncomfortably close despite the number of steps you took backwards. She looked so gentle, plotting your doom. Flowey was shaking their head repeatedly and when you glanced at them, its face appeared demonic and saddening. Big, dark eyes and a inky frown appeared on its face.   
  
Shaking, you lifted your dominant hand to reveal the coin’s side. It was on the fireball. “Which side is it on?” Toriel asked politely. You quickly covered up the coin and nervously glanced at her. She was ready to fight unlike you, there would be no consequence to her if you died.  
  
In an attempt to buy yourself more time, you put the coin on the cabinet and told her, “Check for yourself.” She still smiled, her hands ready to cast magic spells, as she walked over. You whispered to Flowey, “Get ready to shoot, ok?” They nodded and vines slowly made their way down to your fingertips, with small flowers blossoming into bloom.  
  


Toriel’s wiry smile didn’t go away and she simply stated, “Oh,” as if it were a matter of fact. Multiple fireballs were summoned around her and she readied herself. “I only need one,” she said.  
  
Your SOUL appeared, tattered and injured from previous fights, but it’s dim light still enveloped the hallway in a pink presence. “Get ready,” you told Flowey. You were at least prepared this time; you dodged the first fireball with ease. Toriel launched small storms of fireballs, all aiming for your SOUL and or your body. You had to not only dodge the attacks physically, mentally as well, with your SOUL removed from yourself. But no one said you couldn’t do this without whatever magic you could muster up as well. Your hands crackled with what appeared to be visible pink electricity, but it was only so you could speed up your body movement to dodge her attacks. This was your magic. With every stomp you took, a splash of electricity would appear, but it wouldn’t hurt her. Your magic could only effect you. Whatever magical strength you did have was dedicated to making yourself as quick and jump as high as possible. It could only be done in small, short bursts of energy however; meaning you had to finish this fight fast.  
  
With a swift dodge and your magical ability, you were able to move in close enough to shoot several petal bullets at her arm. She immediately cried out in pain, taking a few steps back before summoning huge fireballs, only to have them flicker out in the air, with embers flying away. You took a step back at what you had just done. It was as if what just happened played in slow motion as you saw small bursts of blood come to life. Her massive paw gripping her arm intensely and a glare strong enough to destroy worlds directed at you. Toriel seemed to be unable to use her magic fully without the use of her two hands, but it didn’t mean that she was any weaker than she was before. With one wave of her arm, the walls were coated in a magical fire as she sent multiple fireballs at you. You were able to dodge most of them with the exception that singed you quite badly, but you found yourself not wanting to hurt her any further. Even though dodging just became a lot harder.   
  
You voiced your opinions, “Toriel, I… I would like to stop fighting.”

  
She’s quiet at first before asking, “What are you doing?” She sent another barrage of fire attacks that launched at you in a hourglass like figure.   
  
“Please,” you said gently. Toriel’s expression changed quickly only for a mere moment before she continued her storm of fire. “You’re hurt.”   
  
She looked annoyed and acted aloof, with small fragments of her fire storm missing you completely. “Attack!!” she yelled.

  
“I have a first aid kit, I’d like to patch you up.” You smiled gently. “If you’d let me.”

 

“What are you proving this way?” She said, swiping the air with her hand, launching a new attack before gripping her injured arm. You dodged before stating that you had no intent on fighting again. “Fight!” she cried. Your feet slipped and you landed directly on the firewall, both your SOUL and your body taking damage. You cried out in pain and Flowey asked quickly if you were alright. You heard Frisk, trying to escape again wanting to know if you were alright. Despite how hurt you were, your SOUL still flickered. As quickly as the fireballs were summoned, they flickered into embers once you were injured. You looked at Toriel with pleading eyes, “Why are you looking at me that way?” she asked.

 

The same pattern happened again, Toriel attacking you, but you still remaining as peaceful as you could manage. “Go away!” she yelled angrily.   
  
“Are you sure?” Flowey whimpered “You’re really hurt…”  
  
Toriel stopped fighting for a moment. She saw right through you with her piercing eyes, her yellow gaze. The fire around you disappeared and she smiled, as if she had the upper hand. “Why aren’t you fighting?”  
  
You stood, still tense. You weren’t going to take a breathe of relief or let your guard down just yet.   
  
“What?” she said rather irritated. “Am I not worth fighting anymore?” You said nothing in response. “Is this a joke?” She wasn’t even fighting anymore, she was yelling at you instead. “Why aren’t you fighting!? Don’t you realize what would happen to you anyway? You leave the RUINS now, and the rest of the Underground would tear you apart! Don’t you realize that?” She grit her teeth and you can see her using her good hand to tear at the fur on her head. “Do you not realize what the other monsters would do to you?!” She stomped her feet angrily. “Why. **WHY** ,” she repeated. “Why won’t you stay in one place, Asriel?!” she covered her mouth, shocked at herself. Wordlessly, small frustrated tears swelled up in her eyes. She could no longer bring herself to attack and she sat down.

 

If you were a smart person,  
 **You would kill them right now.**

 

That intrusive thought rang in your head like a bullet and you tried to shake it away. As nervous as you were, you coughed out, “W-what did the skeleton say to the monster that offered him food?” Toriel and Flowey both gave you judging looks; this was worse than it was when it was dead silent. “No thank you, I don’t have the **stomach** for it.”  
  
You regretted your decision to say your joke when you hear Toriel slowly cackle with laughter. She then asked, “What did the annoyed vampire say to the skeleton?”  
  
“What?” you asked.   
  
“Leave me alone, I’m feeling rather **batty**.” You groaned in response instead.  
  
Despite your evident opinion of puns, you asked, “What did the skeleton say to the ghost?”  
  
“What?” she asked eagerly.   
  
“Maybe you should stand in an elevator, to **lift your spirits** up.” This continued for a while, the two of you sharing horrible puns together. Flowey joined in as well, and by that meaning they groaned miserably every time they heard a joke they didn’t like. You both relaxed, forgetting for a mere moment the intense fight you were both just in.

  
You heard Frisk squeak from behind the door, “Knock knock!”  
  
You asked, “Who’s there?” before you heard Frisk knocking on the door again.   
  
It wasn’t them slamming on the door this time around and Toriel smiled, as if she remembered a fond memory. She pulled out the key from her pocket and left it on cabinet for you. “...I’m sorry,” she apologized. “The last human that came here was...very cruel. Please. Exit you and your small friend out of these RUINS through the stairway. You can treat yourself to a piece of pie if you’d like as well. Just...never come back human.” She grinned meekly. Before you could say anything, she bolted away.   
  
You yelled out, “Thank youu!!!” in hopes she heard you. You smiled to yourself, content with how you handled things.   
  
Taking the key, you open the locked door. Frisk comes to you with open arms, hugging you as tightly as they could. You settled for patting them lightly on the head, and bringing them close to you with the amount of strength you had left. You felt weak, but you were so relieved. “Hi honey,” you wheeze out. “You alright there?” they nodded, but were unwilling to let go. “Are you hurt?” They shook their head. Frisk looked at you with that beaming smile of theirs and you felt it in your heart that your favorite kid was back. “Remember Flowey?” you asked them as you gestured with your shoulder. “They’re our buddy, ok? We’re all going to get out of here together. So far, Flowey’s been teaching me how to be a hero.” you winked. Flowey blushed as Frisk’s eyes widened, with eagerness. “Maybe if you’re nice, Flowey will teach you too.”   
  
“As if you could be a hero!” Frisk joked.   
  
“Oh yeah? What’s stopping me?”  
  
“You’re just a butt!”  
  
“I’m most definitely the biggest butt you’ve ever seen,” you said with pride. “Here, just let me sit on you and the evil will go away.” Frisk shrieked, laughing as they ran away from you.  
  
Holding hands with Frisk again, you let the two kids chat away as you led them through the house again. Flowey was catching things up with Frisk and going over the information they had gone over with you earlier as you came across the kitchen. On the countertop was a pie, one like you had never seen. A gigantic slice was taken away and you asked Frisk, “Did...Did you eat that entire slice?” they grinned at you mischievously. You took 2 slices for yourself, one you immediately stuffed your face in. You couldn't believe how delicious and sweet it was, it melted in your mouth and the crisp, crunchy crust made everything feel better. You wrapped up the other slice in foil. “This one is for me ok?” You told Frisk. “If you want another slice, you’d better grab one now.” Frisk glanced at the pie again, and nervously refused. The size of the pie must have been overwhelming. “What about you Flowey? Are you hungry?” they politely declined, stating they couldn’t eat.   
  
Walking back out to the main room, you cried out, “Oh!” as a small realization came to you.  You dug through your backpack, taking out your first aid kit again. You took out a small bottle of rubbing alcohol, medical ointment, and bandages for Toriel. You left it in a place where she’d notice it. You explained to Frisk, “I hurt her earlier,” not wanting to include Flowey to blame. “I hope she sees this and uses it to fix herself.”  
  
Frisk chimed in, “I hope so too!”  
  
The three of you then continued your way down the stairs and came across a massive door. Pushing it aside, you walked further down a long hallway to be discover...snow?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boss Monsters will be similar to the actual boss monsters in the game, with progression they become harder to befriend. 
> 
> Keep that in mind as you finish this chapter in anticipation for Papyrus. ;3


	3. A Pair of Boneheads

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> wow this took a while to write.  
> I hope you guys enjoy!

Snow? You were most certainly not expecting this. You were bewildered, snow wasn’t supposed to come to Mountain Ebott for at least a good solid month or two, but here it was, inside the mountain. Did the Underground have its own weather? You wondered to yourself. Did it have the other seasons as well? Unlike you, questioning as to how snow could be inside the mountain, Frisk was elated to see snow. Immediately they started whooping, running, and started rolling around in it. “ _Friiisk_ ,” you said with concern. “Your clothes are going to get cold if you roll around in it.” they looked at you for a moment, before going back to their playful spree. You rummaged through your backpack and pulled out their shoe, “Can you at least put this on first?” you asked them. They ran back to you and slipped the shoe back on. “Alrighty, now let’s stop playing and,” before you could finish your sentence, a snowball was thrown at you. “Don’t get sassy with me!” you yelled playfully.  
  
You weren’t even given the chance to prepare snowballs as the moment you had one in your hands, you must have been pelted by at least 4. You set your backpack next to some bushes before making a snowball. You throw one at Frisk, only hitting their feet. Every time Frisk challenged you, you would only lightly fight or pretend fight in response whereas Frisk had no hesitation when it came to kicking or tackling you at full speed. You joked many times that Frisk would make an excellent football player prior to your fall.  
  
“Please put me on the ground!” Flowey requested excitedly. “I want to play!”  
  
You told Frisk to hold up as you set Flowey gently on the ground, Flowey excitedly set their vines, taking root before disappearing. You stayed squatting and staring at the ground where they left, waiting for them to come back before Frisk came with a rather large snowball, one that you would rather you use for a snowman, and dumped it on your head. You slowly, bitterly, dunked their head into the snow. Slowly not to cause them any harm from the impact, you even gave them enough time to run away, but bitterly because you kept them there for more than a few seconds.

“Hhhhhhhh…” Frisk whined. They flailed their arms wildly.  
  
“No,” you reply sternly, as you waited for your little flower friend to appear.  
  
“HHHH-” Their screeching was interrupted a literal snow wall encased in vines envelopes you both. The two of you shriek but Flowey is bursting with laughter behind you. The two of you are caked with snow. God, the clothes you were wearing weren’t even meant for winter. As cold as you were, you couldn’t bring yourself to get mad at them.  
  
Roaring like a bear, you picked up Frisk and carried them on your shoulder before spinning around in a circle and squatting next to Flowey. Everyone had a case of the giggles and Frisk would let out a few yells here and there. “I think Flowey won,” you laughed. You set Frisk back on the ground and shoved all the snow off of yourself and Frisk. You asked if they needed anything. They seemed prepared.  
  
“C’mon, let’s go guys. It’s getting too cold.” You went back to your backpack and found something shining in the bushes. Upon closer examination, it was a camera. It only raised more questions as to how long that’s been there and if they saw everything. In that case, they’ll be after Frisk first if possible if they were like Toriel. You didn’t need the kids to be scared, but you needed them to get moving. Frisk took off into another joyful play as they started to roll the snow around, to make another massive snowball or to start making a snowman.

“Frisk, sweetie,” you said a little weary as you set Flowey back onto your shoulder. “We need to get going, we’re in danger remember?” They stopped running in their tracks, looking at you begrudgingly. Sticking out their tongue, they turned off their hearing aid and delightfully continued playing in the snow.

“What was that?” Flowey asked you.  
  
You sighed, “Frisk does this sometimes when they don’t want to listen to people. I can still talk to them though.“  
  
“But they can’t hear you? Is that right?” Flowey questioned.  
  
“Oh, uh...Humans can talk to each other using different methods. Sometimes humans are born without certain things, there are a lot of factors but, when Frisk was born, they couldn’t hear. So we gave them the option for hearing aids a year or two ago. But before that, they were taught how to talk to others by the use of their hands. I’m still learning.” you said sheepishly.

“Hands?” Flowey asked nervously.  
  
“Er yeah, but my sign language isn’t as good as Frisk’s, but it’s to the point of me understanding them at least.” Flowey gave an “ohh” and a “hmm” as an understanding. Walking up to them, you signed, “Frisk, we need to stay focused. There could be monsters.”  
  
Frisk looked away, with a mischievous grin. You would normally get their attention by tapping the desk with your knuckle or sneaking your pencil on their paper, but the two of you weren’t doing homework together right now. You stood in front of Frisk, trying to get their attention. “Frisk,” you signed. “We have to be careful, we could get hurt here.” They continued smiling, using their hand to cover up their eyes. You were getting irritated...This really was a dangerous situation, not knowing what was ahead and what monsters were waiting for you. Frisk was treating this so nonchalantly; maybe you shouldn’t have let them play in the snow. Gently removing their hand from their head and facing them towards you, you signed with much emphasism and emotion you could bear, “ **Please Frisk, I am scared**.” You think that’s when reality hits Frisk that your group was in a lot of danger. They were preparing a snowball beforehand and they let it drop to the ground.  
  
When Flowey notices Frisk no longer playing, they politely inquire, “What did you say?”  
  
“I told them that I was afraid,” you admitted almost shamelessly. Signing again, “Can we please talk? I need to hear your voice, it’s too quiet.” With the last three words, you slowly signed in fingerspell, not recalling how the word was actually spelled. Defeated, they turned on their hearing aid and looked at you, remorseful. “Hey,” you gently said. “It’s ok. I’m not mad or anything, I’m just worried ok? We need to be smart about this. We need to stick together. No more playing ok, Frisk? And I **mean** it.”  
  
Frisk nodded before they shivered, their clothes were slightly soggy from the fun they just had. “Flowey, could you get off my arm for just a moment?” You asked them. You set Flowey on the ground before removing your jacket and wrapping it around Frisk. “It’s a little cold my dear, but it should help.” Your heart imprint left the jacket and was upon your shirt now. “Oh goodness, did we pack your gloves?” you wondered aloud. You rummaged through your backpack and found no further clothing, but you did find a small survival pocket knife. At least you didn’t stab someone today with it, good job. You placed it your pants pocket for later.  
  
You were cold, but it was the type of cold you could handle. After setting up Flowey again, you asked, “Everybody ready?” the kids nodded. “Alrighty, let’s go.” You held Frisk in one hand, and had Flowey’s vines travel to your fingertips in the other. You ventured forward down a wood path. This place was so strange and yet magical. The woods looked like they’ve been here for decades and the snow was fluffy, soft, and crunched beneath your footsteps every time. It was then you heard someone chuckling, as if they heard a joke. “Was that you?” You asked Frisk. They shook their head in response, but looked worried.  
  
“That wasn’t you?” Frisk asked. You clenched their hand a little harder and moved faster.  
  
You came across a large branch and walked over it, but in a few seconds you heard a resounding snap. Turning your head around, someone had stepped on it, but yet no one was there. You hurried your pace. You requested that Flowey kept an eye on your back, and they nervously accepted the role. As you continued forward, Flowey tried to speak but couldn’t get the words right, “A-ah-” they swung your entire arm trying to point at the mysterious follower, as if your arm was theirs. There was no one there.  
  
“Did you see something,” you asked Flowey.

They nodded quickly, “They left the moment I saw them!” they had a look of worry on their face. “This one is a **bully…** ”  
  
You weren’t sure if you were ready for fighting another bully after Toriel. “Let’s go,” you barked.

You came across a very small bridge with that was barred with wooden logs. It was strangely well built, and prevented you from going across dangerous gap. “Uh…” you uttered. “shit. I don’t know guys. Maybe we could um....” the idea of jumping across seemed too dangerous for your friends. You could possibly do it by carrying them, having a running start, and using your magic. But you didn’t like the idea of putting them in danger.  
  
Behind you the sound of crunching snow was heard. Footsteps heading closer to you until they stopped right behind you. A gruff, gravelly, and flat voice said, “ **HUMAN**.” You tensed up; Frisk’s small hand clenched yours tightly. “Don’t you know how to greet a new pal? **Turn around. Shake. My. Hand.** ” it demanded. You let go of Frisk’s hand and they glanced at you nervously. You rustled their hair before turning around; your eyes didn’t want to leave the ground. Mustering up your courage, you shaked their hand. A loud **_pbffttt_** sound appeared and the source of it was a whoopie cushion in the monster’s hand.  “hehe... the old whoopie cushion in the hand trick,” the monster chuckled to themselves. Looking behind you, they saw Frisk snickering to themselves, as they hid behind your back. Flowey was behind your head, quietly. “it’s ALWAYS funny,” the monster said, seeing Frisk’s reaction.  
  
He looks down on your hands and comments, “did you walk into my prank just so you could hold my hand?”  
  
You clenched on it tightly, spooked by the previous situation. You didn’t realize how cold the hand was until you realized it was all...bones. You screeched, pulling away. Viewing the rest of the monster, you realized that he was a skeleton. “Oh!” You put your hand to your heart, trying to calm yourself. “Oh! Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry! I-I, that was just,” You put your hand on your head and took a deep breath. Frisk and Flowey were giggling at your reaction, mocking you now. “You shush!” You put your finger to your mouth. “Hi, I’m sorry about that.”

The skeleton had an interesting grin, one solid gold tooth and their smile seemed to never leave despite them talking. It reminded you of the Cheshire Cat or of the Judge from a game you enjoyed. Despite being a skeleton, it seemed to be unique in its bone form, he was short and round. The eye sockets weren’t hollow and empty but filled with a unique darkness. It wore a black jacket with white fur, a red shirt, black shorts, and red slippers.  
  
Slipping his hand into his pockets, he asks, “anyways, you’re a human, right?” You nodded. “that’s hilarious. you don’t look human.” You thought it was due to Flowey’s vines or due to the scars you had on you. “i’m sans. sans the skeleton. i’m actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now. but you know... I don’t really care about capturing anybody. now my brother papyrus…” You felt Flowey’s vines clench around your arm tightly, you imagined this was the same as holding their hand if they had one. “he’s a human-hunting FANATIC. he and his friend undyne actually compete to-” He looks beyond over your shoulder before resuming the conversation. “hey actually, I think that’s him over there.”

“i have an idea.” He stuck his hand out again, free of any whoopie cushions. “hold my hand again, but make sure your uh,” he squats down a little to be eye level with Frisk. “kiddo here holds my hand too.”  
  
You glanced at them nervously, unsure. “i’m going to get you across the gap. would you rather jump?” You held their hand, accepting their help. Frisk did too as well, but with one hand firmly grasping the fabric of your pants. “close your eyes…” Sans said as if he were teasing. You shot a look at Sans before following his directions. In the next moment, you felt a rush of wind before Sans instructed you, “alright, open your eyes again.” and you were across the gap from before. You weren’t sure how they did it, but Frisk immediately let go of his hand when they got the chance. He looked down at your hand again and you saw his smile get a little bigger.  
  
“O-oh,” you fumbled, putting your hand back to your side. “Sorry.”

Sans mumbled quickly, “whatever” before he started pushing you and Frisk forward. “quick, hide behind the sentry post.” You picked up Frisk close to your chest and jumped across the counter quickly, hiding out of plain sight.  
  
Flowey seemed to panic at the name of this Papyrus character. With your fingertips, you gently brought Flowey’s face to turn around and cooed them that they’d be safe. You did the same with Frisk, brushing through their hair with your other spare hand. Then you told them both to be silent, not knowing the dangers of whoever was coming.  
  
Sans stayed where you saw him last and he greeted his brother. “sup, bro?”  
  
A narcissistic, loud voice rang out, “YOU KNOW WHAT ‘SUP,’ BROTHER!” You kept Frisk from peeking their head over the counter, not wanting to risk them from being seen. You kept Frisk close to your chest and shook your head before signing to them, “Don’t.” It was handy to know sign language at times of stealth.

San’s brother continued his yelling. “IT’S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN’T RECALIBRATED. YOUR. PUZZLES. ARE YOU **THIS** INCOMPETENT? YOU JUST HANG AROUND OUTSIDE YOUR STATION. WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?!?”

“oh, you know. just staring at my sentry station. i’ve been thinking about repainting it. asgore’s symbol is kinda all over the place already. i don’t know. i have some design ideas inside the sentry. want to take a look?” Frisk let out a small gasp and you clamped your hand over their mouth, trying to quiet them.  
  
“NO!!” Papyrus screeched. “I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THAT!! WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE?!? I WANT TO BE READY!! I WILL BE THE ONE! I MUST BE THE ONE! I WILL CAPTURE A HUMAN!”  
  
“THEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS… WILL GET ALL THE THINGS I UTTERLY DESERVE! RESPECT! RECOGNITION! I WILL FINALLY BE GREATER THAN GREATER DOG! I WILL GO UP IN RANKS! I WILL HELP LEAD THE ATTACK AGAINST HUMANITY! I WILL BE HANDLING BATTLE TACTICS AND TRAP PLANNINGS!”  
  
“hmm…” Sans said thoughtfully. “maybe one of my notes will help you go up in the ranks? just take a look inside my sentry.” You didn’t know whether to be angry or to feel as though you walked into a wooden trap with this one.

“SANS!” Papyrus yelled. “YOU ARE NOT HELPING YOU LAZYBONES. ALL YOU DO IS SIT AND BOONDOGGLE.”  You can hear the stamping of Papyrus’ feet as he’s yelling. “YOU GET LAZIER AND LAZIER EVERY DAY!!! HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET INTO THE ROYAL GUARD?!?”

“hey, take it easy. I’ve gotten a ton of work done today…”he said, trailing off. “a **skeleton**.” You wanted to desperately groan at the pun he had made.

“SANS!!!” Papyrus yelled.

“come on,” Sans said smugly. “you’re smiling.”

“I AM AND I HATE IT,” Papyrus let out a long sigh.  WHY DOES SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME HAVE TO DO SO MUCH JUST TO GET SOME RECOGNITION…”

“wow, sounds like you’re really working yourself... down to the **bone**.”

“UGH!! I WILL ATTEND TO MY PUZZLES. AS FOR YOUR WORK. PUT A LITTLE MORE,” he paused for a moment before shouting, “BACKBONE TO IT.” He took off, laughing strangely.

Sans walked back over to his sentry post and said, “ok you can come out now.” Holding Frisk’s hand again, you stepped out from underneath the counter. You looked over at Sans, ready to thank him before he interrupted you. “you oughta get going. he might come back and if he doesn’t, you’ll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes.” He said with a wink. Turning to leave him and continue your journey, he called out, “actually hey. hate to bother ya, but can you do me a favor?”  
  
You exchanged glances with your kids before turning your head around. “Er, what kind?”

“i was thinking… my brother’s been kind of down lately. he’s never seen a human before. And seeing you might just make his day.” You burrowed your eyebrows; Flowey didn’t seem at all comfortable with Sans or Papyrus. You wanted to trust their judgement. “don’t worry,” sans reassured.  “he’s not dangerous. even if he tries to be.”  
  
Before you’re able to even decline the favor, he immediately says, “thanks a million. i’ll be up ahead.”

You had to continue moving anyway and it felt inevitable that you would later engage Papyrus. You moved further down the path when Sans caught up to you, giving a thumbs up before disappearing.  Frisk pouted and Flowey let out a soft sigh, both turning to look at you for answers. Kneeling down and whispering, you told them both, “I have an idea.”

Further up ahead, you spotted Papyrus and his brother speaking to one another. “SO AS I WAS SAYING ABUT UNDYNE-“ the sound of crunching snow gave away your presence. Papyrus and Sans turned to see you alone. San’s smile faltered for a moment but quickly perked up when Papyrus yelled, “SANS OH MY GOD IS THAT…” he hushed his voice a little quieter before asking, “a human?!?!”  
  
“uhhh actually,” Sans said. “i think that’s a rock.” He was referring to a rock that was a few steps behind you, you stifled a chuckle back.

“YOU KNOW VERY WELL I’M NOT REFERRING TO THE ROCK,” Papyrus yelled angrily. “IN FRONT OF THE ROCK…IS THAT…Is that a human?”

“yes,” Sans answered.

“OH MY GOD!!!” Papyrus screamed excitedly. “SANS, I finally did it! Undyne will… I’m gonna…I’ll be so…” He cleared his throat and regained a calmer demeanor. “Ahem. Human! You shall not pass this area!” He can’t hide his excitement and eventually starts screaming his words again. “I THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL STOP YOU!!! I WILLTHEN CAPTURE YOU! YOU WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE CAPITAL! THEN… THEN! He cleared his throat once more but only continued his excessive and unnecessary tone of speech. “CONTINUE… ONLY IF YOU DARE!!! Nyeh heh heh!” He took off in a mad dash, laughing with each step.”

“well,” Sans said, grabbing your attention. “that went well. don’t sweat it kid, i’ll keep an eyesocket out for ya.” You gave him an unsure grin before heading back to the previous area.  
  
“Frisk?” you called out. “Flowey? I’m back.” You heard the quick stomping feet of crushing snow before you were tackled from behind with tiny arms wrapped around your waist. You plummeted down into the snow with your arms raised to help support yourself. Turning around, you found Frisk and Flowey giggling. “Heya,” you said. “Get off my leg, how am I supposed to walk if you’re crushing it?”  
  
The two crawled off and Flowey took their place back on your shoulder. “You protected each other right?” they both nodded. “Good, I’m happy to hear that.”  
  
“So?” Flowey asked. “How did it go?”

“As far as I know, Papyrus thinks I’m the only human,” you were happy but also dreading your actions. “I’m not sure how we’ll handle fighting other monsters and bullies now though, with Frisk alongside here with me,” you said gently, not wanting to offend them in any way. “An idea I have is that I could give you a piggy back ride every time we fight someone…but you’ll make me so tired.”  
  
Frisk gave a smug smirk and punched you lightly. “Or every time a monster fights me, you can take Flowey and get to a safe distance?” you suggested. “Flowey knows how to fight, but you’ll have to learn how to dodge with your SOUL and body… In the end, I feel like you guys could keep each other safe. But for now, uh, Flowey, why don’t you switch places and hang out with Frisk for a while ok?” Flowey looked at you, almost unwilling to let go. “Frisk is going to need to learn how to tag team with you,” you assured them. “Maybe with that said, we could have a plan like this. Everyone works together to try and make the smaller monsters go away. Frisk stays with Flowey and I’ll use my magic to keep us at a safe distance. It’ll mean that occasionally, I’ll pick you guys up and put you in a safer location so you don’t get hurt. Or maybe we could just run away from everyone,” you laughed lightly. “Eh, it’s a thought. But when we come across a, um, a bully… I’ll fight alone.”

They both protested to this claim. Flowey immediately disagreed, “Toriel was really tough and you want to fight the other bullies alone?” Frisk was adamant in staying by your side, not wanting to be left alone.

“Whoa there guys,” you tried to calm them down. Their protests were gradually getting louder. “I don’t wanna leave you turds alone either, but Frisk if you even saw how tough Toriel was earlier, you wouldn’t want to fight a bully either. I want you guys safe…” you admitted tiredly. “Hey listen, another idea I have this. Flowey, you switch back and forth between me and Frisk. You keep Frisk safe during the monster battles, you team up with me during the bully fights, and before we fight a bully at all, we get Frisk to a safe location? If you ever get into any danger, Frisk, you just let us know alright? I’ll run over as quickly as I can. Does that sound better to you guys now?”

Despite saying this plan, you had no intentions in letting Frisk and Flowey be separated. It felt much better on your conscious if you were to leave Frisk alone with Flowey rather than to leave them alone by themselves.  

It took them a moment, but they both finally agreed on what you suggested. You told Frisk what Flowey would be like once placed on their shoulder, “It’ll feel a little bit heavier, your arm is going to be harder to use too. You know the tricks we used to do with the neighbor’s dog right? The one where we would point at them and they would play dead?” Frisk nodded. “Alright, good. To help Flowey shoot, you’ll basically be pointing at enemies. But only do it when we have to fight them and if you are both ready to fight ok?” They seemed prepared. You set Flowey on Frisk’s arm and it takes them a few seconds to get adjusted to the added weight. “You guys ready?” They both gave you an excited nod. “Alright, let’s get moving. We’re going home.”


	4. Mistakes Have Been Made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy!!! This is the creator, Marceline!!  
> I wanted to take this moment to thank you personally for making it this far to chapter 4. I know that the updates are slow but thank you for enjoying my work! :'D
> 
> I just wanted to direct you guys towards my tumblr and patreon account, my tumblr will have my posted fanfics and also self-insert artwork of myself in Undertale. (note it will be nsfw and sfw because I'm a filthy sinner.) I'd greatly appreciate it if you were kind enough to donate! To those that will donate, you'll receive short stories based on your request! There are more details on my patreon.
> 
> http://little-box-of-undertale.tumblr.com/  
> https://www.patreon.com/Little_Box_of_Fun?ty=h
> 
> Both links are still under construction! the tumblr one especially =w="  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! :3

With Frisk by your side and a plan in mind, you felt determined to get them through this mess. With confidence, you moved forward with your two kids, occasionally asking how Frisk was doing with Flowey on their shoulder. “You doing ok, bud?” you asked.  
  
“Yup!” Frisk smiled. “Hey, the scar on your face went away.” They pointed to their cheek, indicating where your wound was.   
  
You instinctively rubbed your face and it was soft, free of any rough scar damage that was done to it. “Er...that’s rather strange,” you wondered aloud. You were now rubbing your hands all over your face. “Aw, that’s a shame. I thought I looked pretty cool. My face feels ok, it doesn’t hurt as much as it did earlier.”  
  
“You sure it feels ok? Because it still looks bad to me.” Flowey howls in laughter and you’re glaring daggers at your previously precious friend.    
  
“Wow, Frisk.” you said. You bit back the urge to call them a little shit. “Anyway, Flowey, you know how I healed so quickly?”  
  
They keep giggling to themselves; as of recent their smile looks honest and genuine. “Well, you ate a ton of doughnuts earlier” they said. Frisk whined incomprehensibly that you ate doughnuts without them. “And you ate that pie earlier too! Magic is a strange thing to have with us monsters. We don’t get ailments like you do. Our bodies are like...well…” their eyebrows furrowed. “Based on what I read in the library a long time ago, it’s like a shell covering magic. We can’t let the shell break.” You assumed this meant by their physical mass, seeing how many of the enemies didn’t seem to apparate or be transparent besides from the ghost you had encountered in the ruins. “With that said, incase we do get hurt, essentially what we have to do is eat! Or just rest. Magic restores the shell and prevents the magic inside from getting away. You have a little bit of magic. It’s kind of weird, but you can heal because of it.”

“What about Frisk then? Would they heal too if they ate?” you asked. “They don’t have any magic.”

Flowey had a shocked expression upon their face. As if you were punishing Frisk for something they hadn’t done, they asked in a sensitive, concerned tone, “But why?”

“They just weren’t born with it,” you casually replied. “Are all monsters born with magic?”  
  
“Well, yeah, duh!” Flowey shouted as if you were an imbecile. “If monsters were born without magic, we wouldn’t exactly be here!” It did explain the history textbooks with the phrase that was repeated so many times in combat, “Turn the demons to dust,” you recalled. Monsters and humans had been fighting for much longer prior to the war and this was a well known phrase by the time war broke out. “But um…” Flowey got back on track. “I don’t know. I guess we’ll find out when Frisk gets hurt?”

“Huh,” Frisk said curiously. “Hey, what was Papyrus like?”   
  
You thought back to what you remembered about his appearance and small shock of fear surges in you. “Well, uh...like Sans, they don’t look like real skeletons. He’s really tall,” you exaggerated with your hand, making other small movements. “His teeth are all sharp, his spine shows, his boots are....red. And pointy. I think they’re heeled boots or something.” You gave a small shrug, “He took off so quickly I didn’t get the best chance to look, I guess. I think he wore a cape.” you said with a half laugh. “It was pretty cool.” Then the realization came that Papyrus took off so quickly with heels on. In the snow. The thought impressed you but also made you worry, seeing how you trudged sluggishly through the snow.  
  
The cold was seeping through your boots and your breathe showed with every musty exhale. Frisk shoved their hands into their pocket, ripping away from your grip. “Sorry…” they apologized sadly.

“No, hon it’s ok,” you comforted. “my hands are cold too. Let’s hope we can find a place to rest.” You passed by another sentry station, it had a skull like carving as a decoration. You presumed it was Papyrus’ since you had seen it on San’s sentrypoint a little earlier. It was built slightly larger and had difference in architecture; like the two brothers, the colors contrasted boldly against all of the serene snow and lush forest. The entire world was so strange in the sense that all the red and black tones of the people in it felt as though it would never belong. The bizarre winterscape would have be even lovelier if you didn’t add more red to it. You hoped it would never come to that.

As you ventured forward, you came across several different monsters, all that posed a new threat. The first was a creature that was referred to as a Snowdrake, but you didn’t even let Frisk touch the ground as you gripped them to your chest dearly, unwilling to let them go. You were able to resolve the dispute peacefully, but had to deal with the angry protests of your kids. “Why didn’t you let us fight?” the two angrily asked.   
  
Honestly, the monsters that were stuck in the Ruins were much easier to calm down than the one you had just encountered. Snowdrake was hurling curled blade-like feathers at you, and the kids wanted to join in on the fight? You saw the way the feathers tore up the snow and the ground beneath it. Your magic has been your saving grace for the past several times and you were grateful that you didn’t have to be injured for them to realize it. “Guys, Snowdrake was pretty dangerous…” you trailed off. “Look at the marks he left behind on the ground, you two.” You said kneeling, shoving some of the snow off to show the ground beneath it. It ran two or three inches deep into cold dirt. “What if it hit you guys? I’m using my magic for a reason ok?” Frisk kneeled down alongside you to run their fingers on the damage that was done to the soil. “This was only one feather. How many feathers did Snowdrake use?”   
  
The two were quiet at your lecture. “Guys, look. I just need you to understand. I’m using my magic to protect us, alright?” you said smiling. “Monsters and bullies are going to get worse from now on. You need to trust me when I do this.” They needed to understand that you were here to protect them, even if it meant scaring them a little. “Ok, you guys?” they nodded, feeling guilty.  
  
You took a quick sigh, “Man, I’m tired.” You wanted to sleep desperately; using your magic constantly was taking a toll. You weren’t going to fall asleep out in the woods and the cold wouldn’t be the end of you. “C’mon, you guys. Let’s get moving.”  
  
Further down the path, a small sign read,“Absolutely, NO MOVING!!!” You glanced at the two confused, before walking forward. You were about to pass by another sentry point when a strange humanoid dog-like monster slowly rose and peeked their head from above the counter. “Did something move?” It asked aloud. “Was it my imagination? I can only see moving things. If something WAS moving. For example, a human…I’ll make sure it NEVER moves again!” It jumped over the counter and pulled out dual knives.   
  
Flowey continued sharing their knowledge as they gave you and Frisk the monster’s name, Doggo, and a few certain stats. This wouldn’t have bothered you as much, but Frisk was standing… ahead of you. They were so much closer to this Doggo and despite your immediate sense of guardian like instinct, you were frozen to the spot. To say that you were frightened would be an understatement, Doggo was armed and Frisk just stood there. You saw Flowey whispering to them and when you tried to move forward to push Frisk to safety, Flowey turned their head to yours and shook their head. Ushering you to be quiet with their leaves. You wanted to scream at Flowey and punch the dog. 

Before you could make any decision, Doggo stabbed Frisk. The air left your body and you felt dead inside. You never thought you could hate a person so much before. You were about to reach for your own pocket knife before you see Doggo pull away and the lack of blood there was on his knife. Frisk was...okay? You thought to yourself. Suddenly, Frisk started petting Doggo and he was easily excited. “WHAT!!! I’VE BEEN PET!!!” he screamed. He swung his knife one last time into Frisk and there was no damage done to them. Frisk then spared the enemy by themselves and Doggo went back into their sentry point, slinking away from sight.   
  
You bolted, you were worried beyond all concern. “Are you hurt?” you shrieked. “ Did he hurt you?” Despite how hard you inspected them, absolutely no wound was found.  
  
Instead the two kids looked at you triumphantly, “I told you I could do it!” Frisk said. The two were right. They proved to you that they could help fight, but that didn’t make you feel any better. You couldn't get the words out of your mouth, your insides felt too dead. You hugged them instead.  
  
“Frisk, I thought you were going to die,” you wheezed. “Please don’t scare me like that.” You mean too much to me to let you get hurt. I care about you guys.”  
  
Frisk stopped their smiling but brought their tiny arms and hugged you as well. Flowey’s vines were wrapped around your shoulder as well. The urge to cry was immense and overwhelming, but you had to be the adult. You can cry later when they’re safe, you told yourself. Or at least in a safer environment.

As you continued ahead, you saw Sans once again. “hey,” he said. “here’s something important to remember. my brother has a very special attack if you see a blue attack, don’t move and it won’t hurt you.” You imagined this was how Frisk wasn’t hurt. You nodded at Sans, understanding the information given to you. “here’s an easy way to keep it in mind. imagine a stop sign. when you see a stop sign, you stop, right? stop signs are red. so imagine a blue stop sign instead.

simple, right? when fighting, think about blue stop signs.”   
  
“Um…” you said shyly. “thank you.” You weren’t sure why Flowey was so apprehensive towards Sans, but so far Sans has provided a small sense of security by giving you a head’s up towards future events. You still had questions of course, being one of the few humans to rediscover the existence of monsters. You wanted to know more, such as who is Chara and the child Toriel had mentioned earlier during her breakdown. “Hey, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but are we close to a town or something? We could use a rest.”

Sans gestured with his shoulders, his hands not leaving his pockets, towards your left. “just keep heading down the path. eventually, you’ll come across Snowdin.” You raised your eyebrows at him, “don’t get me started on the names.” he said. “the names here are all weird. but you’ll find shelter,” He shrugged his shoulders. “maybe. but i’d stay away from Grillby’s unless you can win over some of the royal guards. you did a good job so far with Doggo, so i think you’ll be fine.”  
  
He leers at Frisk, “hey kiddo. i’d save that stick of yours. might come in handy.” Frisk still had the stick this entire time? You thought to yourself. “anyway, i’ll meet you two up ahead,” he said with a wink, standing in place.  
  
You moved on and saw Sans and Papyrus bantering, “YOU’RE SO LAZY!!!” the taller brother screeched. “YOU WERE NAPPING ALL NIGHT!!”

Nonchalantly, Sans said,“i think that’s called...sleeping.” You couldn’t hold it in, you had to laugh. You slapped your head with the palm of your hand and let out a crying laughter. God, you were in so much pain and ached but the laughter couldn’t be contained. You needed a good laugh anyway. Clutching your stomach, you settled down, letting out a few giggles here and there. Sans smile got wider and he gestured with his head, directing towards you. Smugly, he said, “i have a fan.”

“EXCUSES, EXCUSES!” Papyrus lectured, acting as if your outburst was never heard. He then turned to see you and Frisk together. If he were to have human facial expressions, he raised an “eyebrow” looking at Frisk. They stood behind your back, unsettled by Papyrus’ appearance. Now that you were able to see him at a closer distance, you saw his strange attire compared to his brother.   
  
Papyrus donned the previous items you had expressed earlier, a red cape, heeled boots, gloves, black and red matching as the other previous monsters and bullies were before, but there was more to him than just that. A small decorative skull were upon his belt, the fabric of his shirt frayed out sharply where his shoulders were and his teeth were sharp and jagged, wildly different than any human skull. His eyes were narrow but would change with his expression and showed no light compared to Sans.

“OH-HO! THE HUMAN ARRIVES! AND YOU HAVE KIDNAPPED A SMALL CHILD, YOU TRULY ARE EVIL.” Your eyes widened and you looked at the kids. Flowey was hiding behind Frisk’s head and Frisk looked as puzzled as you were. Well, at least they think Frisk is a monster, you guessed. “IN ORDER TO STOP YOU, MY BROTHER AND I HAVE CREATED SOME PUZZLES! I THINK YOU WILL FIND THIS ONE QUITE SHOCKING!!!” He said with a quick laugh, he played with his fingertips mischievously. “FOR YOU SEE, THIS IS THE INVISIBLE...ELECTRICITY MAZE!!! WHEN YOU TOUCH THE WALLS OF THIS MAZE, THIS ORB WILL ADMINISTER A HEARTY ZAP!” He revealed a very shiny red orb in his hands.

“SOUND LIKE FUN???” he asked with a sly grin. “BECAUSE! THE AMOUNT OF FUN YOU WILL PROBABLY HAVE IS ACTUALLY RATHER MINISCULE COMPARED TO THE PAIN YOU WILL NOW FEEL! ATTEMPT THE PUZZLE IF YOU DARE HUMAN!”   
  
“Uhh,” you said aloud idiotically. “Frisk um, take a few steps back.” They followed your orders and waited patiently behind you a few steps. You made a small snowball before tossing it to invisible maze. You see Papyrus crying out in a sudden pain as he’s electrified.

“SANS!!!” Papyrus screamed, stomping his foot. “WHAT DID YOU DO?!?!”

“i think the humans needs to hold the orb,” Sans said.  
  
“YOU HAD INFORMED ME THAT THIS ORB WOULD...UGHH..” he groaned. “NEVER MIND THAT.” Papyrus then chucked the orb over to your side and it rolled to your feet. “ATTEMPT NOW...IF YOU DARE!”

“Do you honestly expect me to pick this up and then walk into a maze where it’ll electrocute me?” you said bluntly. You were expecting something...more. Papyrus’ jaw dropped and Sans’ smile looked genuine; you swore you saw little stars in his eyes. It was rather cute.   
  
It did not take long for Papyrus to start screeching again about how he was foiled, but it was then he had his own epiphany. “AH-HAH!~” He sang. ‘YOU CAN’T GET PAST THROUGH THE MAZE **WITHOUT** THE ORB! IT IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!”  
  
You looked over at Sans to know about his opinion on this and whether or not it was valid. “it’s true,” he said. “you need to carry it or something.”

 **“Why.”** Sans shrugged. You let out a soft sigh before squatting down to pick it up. The orb was much heavier than you had first anticipated, but you managed to carry its massive weight in your arms. You couldn’t possibly carry the entire orb through the maze on your own, it was just much too heavy! But the idea of Frisk getting electrocuted when you didn’t know for certain if they can heal like you...It was worth the risk of getting electrocuted, you supposed. Your back was hunched and you carried the orb weakly, how Papyrus was able to hold it in only one hand, you didn’t know. You were only able to take a few steps before you dropped the red orb, unable to carry its weight. You didn’t enter the maze just yet, but you had your concerns.

 **“Fuck this,** ” you said aloud before tossing the orb against the walls of the maze. It was then you saw a bright flashing light along with the screams of everyone present.   
  


  


  
...

  
  
  


You’re lying on your side when you see someone’s presence. Your vision was blurred and uncomfortable, but you saw a pitch black cloak moving as it were water. You slowly sat upright as you tried to examine your surroundings. It was an ordinary gray room of absolutely no significance, but with one oddity. A strange person with an inky mass was there in the room with you. A hole was in each of their hands, their face drooped when it could not hold its natural form, and two large black gashes were upon its face in different locations as well. It’s eyes were dark and unnatural, as the monsters you had seen before. Despite it being a monster, it didn’t seem to have any ill intent.   
  
It sat down slowly next to you, letting you be aware of its actions for you to have time to scoot away or to maybe bolt to the door. Despite its words, you heard this stranger not through the sounds that left his lips but the room itself, as if the room was talking to you instead. It was more surreal than you had ever experienced. The man’s voice was ghastly, mature, and worn.  “I am...W.D. Gaster…” the inky presence said. “And you, human, are dead.”


	5. Things will be Okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to direct you guys towards my tumblr and patreon account, my tumblr will have my posted fanfics and also self-insert artwork of myself in Undertale. (note it will be nsfw and sfw because I'm a filthy sinner.) I'd greatly appreciate it if you were kind enough to donate! To those that will donate, you'll receive short stories based on your request! There are more details on my patreon.
> 
> http://little-box-of-undertale.tumblr.com/  
> https://www.patreon.com/Little_Box_of_Fun?ty=h
> 
> Both links are still under construction! the tumblr one especially =w="  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! :3

Dead? You thought back to the electric maze and shuddered. “I died from that?”   
  
Gaster nodded, “Yes, I was surprised as well. I had thought with your ability and whatnot...that you would survive...Perhaps the maze was much too strong for your body to handle the...er, amount of electricity...how are you feeling?”  
  
“To be very honest, I feel...empty. Like when I get an anxiety attack or something, but it’s not a negative...sensation? Do you know what an anxiety attack is?” he shook his head. “Um...I’m not sure how to fully explain.”

“Do your best,” Gaster said patiently.

You gave a small smile before describing to him how you felt, “Well, um...I guess I can start off by describing to you what an anxiety attack feels like first?”  
  
He smiled before responding, “If that will help, then yes.”  
  
“...It’s really hard to put the feeling into words, but feels as if though my chest and upper stomach area is empty, but it will give a very heavy feeling. Sometimes I feel like a heavy slime and I just need to lay down.”

“Despite feeling empty, you feel heavy?” you nodded. “So that is an anxiety attack, yes? What do you feel now?”

“I feel empty all all over, but not heavy at all. It’s like...being submerged in water but having your feet on the ground.” You tilt your head to the side, “and I don’t feel like shit compared to having an anxiety attack.”

He let out what appeared to be a strange, ragged laugh. “I’m sorry to hear you feel so...wretched upon having this anxiety attack...but I’m glad you don’t feel that way right now. You have answered my questions...so please...feel free to ask any questions you have now.”

It was a strange feeling, talking to this Gaster. You didn’t feel tense or at fear compared to encountering a new monster, not knowing how deadly their attacks would be. Gaster’s appearance was daunting and his voice sounded as if he was filled with dread or of a malicious intent, his very presence was just so eerie and calming. It was as if you were talking to an old, patient friend about your problems.

“For starters, what’s this room? Where are we?”  
  
“Unfortunately, not even I can give you the answers to said question…” he lamented. “A room of nothingness apparently, but I cannot exit out through the door.” He pointed to a wall with a grey door that lightly colored. “But I believe you...that you maybe able to…”

“How so?”  
  
A solemn expression cracked upon his face, “You as a human have a very special power...we refer to it as Determination...but it’s rather strange. Red is associated with said power, it is possibly why so many monsters prefer red over all other colors...but your SOUL…” he somehow summoned your own SOUL in front of you without you being in combat. “Your SOUL is such a gentle...pink!” he chuckled. “Maybe you have some other power...that is not as strong as Determination...but one that still allows you to have the power of SAVE. I wonder if there’s a connection with the color red seeing how pink is made.” With a flick of his wrist, your SOUL went away.

“What’s the power of SAVE?” you asked, childlike in wonder.  
  
“Essentially... you have the ability to save yourself from death, putting you back in a position sometime before you died...but for some reason, this is the first time you have ever appeared here in my room.”

“Have I met you before?”  
  
“No, but I have...observed you and your previous travels...sometimes in completely alternate universes. Or sometimes in different timelines. But in those universes, are also alternate versions of not only us, but everyone in the underground. There is one in which Frisk is actually a stranger and the two of you have never met before the Underground.”  
  
“...wow, this is a lot to take in,” you chuckled; trying to lighten up the mood. It was actually really hard to imagine your days without Frisk prior to your fall. You cared for the kid too much to leave them alone. It was harder to imagine what this guy has gone through if he’s stuck seeing everything.

“I’m surprised that alone shocks you,” he said. “There have been...worse situations in which you and the Frisk child have been in.”  
  
“Like?” you said worried. “Can they happen again in this timeline?”

He nodded sadly, “What has happened before has the ability to happen again. Or a completely new path can be seen. The worst outcomes for the two of you, of course is your own untimely death.” You assumed as much, that was easier to take considering you had just recently died.

“Oh, um. Why can’t you leave this room?” you asked.

“And as for me being unable to leave…” he let out a soft sigh. “I no longer exists beyond these walls. If I were to leave, I would not only no longer exist, but be completely forgotten. Erased,” he said with despise.

“Oh,” you said with concern. “Oh god, I’m so sorry.”  
  
He shook his head, “Do not be… I have seen countless timelines to know one certain thing.” He turned to look at you with an abnormal smile. **“That I deserve this cruel fate.”**

You stared at him blankly before sternly asking, “W-what did you do to end up here then?”  
  
His face retreats back into a strange, gentle smile. “I can’t recall honestly. Some alternate universes have the same action and outcome which results in well…a...foggy memory. I believe here I...well…” he put his hand to his chin and pondered. “I believe that...ultimately this was my punishment for being a cruel scientist.”  
  
“Should you come across Asgore, the king of all monsters...you will come across one of my many unfortunate inventions… A coffin that was used to suck the SOUL out of the humans...then leave them to rot inside. Sometimes...we’d extract the SOUL while they still breathed.”

You shivered and tried to scoot away, to which he immediately apologized for. “I know. I’m sorry. Oh goodness...I’m so sorry. I…” his face saddened and he rose, offering you his hand so you could stand up. “Please. It maybe time for you to leave this place.” You nodded, taking his hand and stood up. With his grip still lingering, your hand started to feel numb, with an even stranger sensation that being in this room gave you.   
  
The strangest vision came to you as if you were remembering a long forgotten memory, you were shaking the hand of Sans, but he was not wearing his red and black outfit and his skull looked different as well. He was wearing a white and blue jacket, one with fur on the insides and his skull looked much softer. He had no sharp teeth and no single gold tooth. Same whoopie cushion prank but you giggled anyways, at ease.

You let go of his hand; rubbing your head with your other hand. “Whoa…” you mumbled. “I have the worst headache right now. What was the hell was that?” Letting go of his hand, you saw that it was starting to become transparent, with only the bones showing underneath. “What the fuck did you do to me?!” you yelled, scared.   
  
“I-” he looked back to your hand and gestured with his if he could hold it. You complied, a little nervous. “I don’t know,” he said bluntly, studying your now skeletal and transparent hand. “I have never seen anyone enter this room before and did not know....what could have happened through our touch. I am so, so sorry.”   
  
It took you a moment to calm down, but you accepted his apology. He graciously thanked you in return. “What am I supposed to do with this? Can I still leave the room?”  
  
“I…I don’t know… as a scientist… I have my hypotheses of course...but now it is time to experiment. Leave the room, human. Use the power of SAVE to save yourself. Should you make it back, look nearby the trees for a box. You may come across a single glove inside. Equip it. Protect others from your...nonexistent hand.” You nodded, accepting the inky man’s guidance. He carefully placed his hands on your shoulders, avoiding the touch of your skin. “I’m so sorry this had happened, but I have so far enjoyed watching your journey. Please, human. Continue to be peaceful. Do not cause any harm to the monsters.”  
  
“All I’ve met so far have tried to kill me...and my two kids,” you said angrily.

“Two!” He put his hand to his mouth, shocked at your words. “Ah...The flower child. I see. I know they have. I have seen them all. Humans prior to your fall have killed small numbers of monsters. And most were unfortunately children or those of a slightly older age. None of the monsters you see today have ever seen a human adult. Please show them that humans are more than killers. Also, you have Sans on your side. He seems like a trustworthy companion at the current moment.”

“...Current moment?” you raised your eyebrows. He gave a nervous smile in return. “You know something that’s going to happen in the future don’tcha? Can you tell me?”  
  
“Are you daft?! To tell you an event that would happen in the future...well...there are too many consequences! It could end up as a never ending time loop or a new anomaly in the space time continuum could appear and-” His form straightened up, with his inky bits floating with him. “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you what lies ahead.”  
  
“Dammit,” you wheezed. The world was cruel today. Guess what, you just died and you can’t be warned when you might be in danger next! You sighed, “Thanks though. So...just through this door right?” He nodded. You grasped the doorknob with your less dominant hand and opened it to a inky abyss. Nothing existed beyond the door it seemed and there was nothing but darkness.

 **“UHHH-”** you screeched, stumbling backwards.  
  
“Well,” Gaster said a little worried. “Apologies in advance for doing this but-” he pushed you out the door. “Out you go!”  
  
You screamed a long chain of swears as you plummeted downwards into nothingness. It was then the darkness around you started to get brighter, filled with shimmering sparkles before-

You hear Frisk and Flowey screaming behind you, you turned around worried. “Are you guys hur-” you couldn’t finish your words as you were tackled to the ground. The two were a giggling mess, but you were left feeling slightly empty and confused. It was then you remembered where you were, you just met Papyrus before coming back to get your two kids. Did that all happen? Was Gaster real? You thought to yourself. “H-hold up!” You told the two, carefully getting them off of you. They both had a look of concerns, unsure if they had offended or hurt you. You looked at your hand; it stayed in it’s ghastly transparent anomaly.   
  
“What happened to your hand?!” Flowey shrieked.  
  
“I WANNA TOUCH IT,” Frisk yelled.

 **“NOBODY TOUCHES THE HAND!”** you yelled in response. You looked around hurriedly for the box that Gaster had mentioned earlier. Upon finding it, its treasures were now yours. You found a single pink leather glove. It was much...smaller than you imagined. You remembered what Gaster had said, about mainly children coming down here. “Gaster, buddy what were you thinking?” you sighed to yourself. You grabbed it with your dominant skeletal like hand and you watched as it slowly disappeared. You literally made something become nonexistent. You wanted to pull on your own hair, but you were uncertain what would happen to you if you did so.  
  
“Are you ok?” Frisk asked, worried.

Turning around, you put on the best smile you could. “Yup! Um...let’s get going ok, hon? You guys ready to go?” You realized you had to explain the plan to them all over again along with fighting a few monsters before going back to the puzzle from before you died. Not only that, you couldn’t let them get scared about the fact you actually died. And you couldn’t touch or express yourself with your dominant hand. Ever. Or touch anything else until you figured something out. This was going to take a while to get used to, you thought to yourself as you faked a smile.


End file.
